1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for managing physical distribution of customized products.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many products, such as toner cartridges and other consumable supplies for copiers, are constructed from identical hardware but are then customized for supply to different destinations (such as different machine models, destination countries, and OEMs). Conventionally, such customized products are typically packaged by manufacturing facilities in different packages provided corresponding to the respective destinations. In the subsequent physical distribution stages, the packaged products are managed as different products having discrete model numbers for the respective destinations.
However, when managing otherwise identical products for different destinations as different products greatly and disadvantageously increases the workload at the manufacturer's warehouses and other storage and distribution facilities. Further, the likelihood of a particular item going out of stock will increase because it is necessary to maintain a separate stock for each of the different destinations.
In recent years, product traceability is regarded as a significant issue in many fields, such as the food industry. Traceability refers to storing a record for a product concerning its source of raw materials, manufacturer, distributed destinations, and the like, and making it possible for consumers and producers to refer to the record, such that the product and its information can be traced. By establishing traceability, investigation into causes of a problem can be facilitated, and defective products can be easily traced and recalled. In this manner, consumer confidence with respect to product safety, quality, and the like can be assured.
For example, in a facility for manufacturing consumable supplies for a copier, a process of attaching on a package (individual packing box) a sticker having a barcode or the like indicating traceability information is performed in order to establish traceability.
Further, in a facility for manufacturing consumable supplies for a copier or the like, a number of other stickers indicating information such as the expiration date of a consumable supply item are attached to a package, because such information are determined during the manufacturing process and therefore cannot be printed in advance on the package. Additional stickers indicating information which are determined at a stage within the distribution channel may further be attached to the package.
It is not just in relation to consumable supplies for a copier, but for products in many fields, it is necessary to attach, on product packages, information determined at different stages of fabrication and distribution, as described above. As significant costs is incurred for each such attaching processes, reduction of these costs is desired.